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Chapter 41
Skill, Ghost of the Sword.
The skill that allowed the Sword Ghost to be called the Sword Ghost.
The one Eugene had learned was slightly different from the original.
The original was a skill designed to fit overwhelming physical abilities, and its duration was just as overwhelming.
Every single trajectory of the sword would deceive the enemy’s senses and slice them apart—but Eugene was still lacking in stamina.
He couldn’t maintain it for long.
So, some modifications were made.
Just for a brief instant, its true power could manifest.
Moving like a ghost, stabbing at the enemy with silent precision.
Even if standing right before one’s eyes, a split second of carelessness would make them go, “Huh?”
That was why Kang Chunwook, even though he was an A-rank hunter, had failed to react despite his exhaustion.
Thrust!
“…Kuh-huk.”
Kang Chunwook’s eyes widened.
A chilling sensation of steel piercing his throat.
The emergency item he had prepared in advance failed to activate.
Any item below A-rank should have automatically reacted.
Could it be… this is an S-rank or higher item?
He wasn’t dead immediately.
Although only his strength and mana exceeded A-rank standards, his stamina and agility weren’t that low either.
He had already surpassed ordinary human limits, which was why he didn’t die right away. But that only made the pain sharper.
The cold blade burrowed into his throat.
Even the slightest movement threatened to slice his neck clean off.
At least S-rank grade.
Where on earth did he obtain such a precious item?!
Even Baek Arin never had such a weapon!
This is a sword fit only for someone like the Sword Ghost…!
But that wasn’t all.
In his slowing consciousness, he could feel his body weakening.
Even with low stamina, his equipped armor should’ve boosted it somewhat.
Something is weakening my power…!
What kind of item was he using?!
For now, the priority was escaping this crisis.
Whoosh—!
He hurriedly enveloped himself in flames.
Eugene was flung back.
His body, wrapped in fire, began to transform.
[Skill ‘Incarnation of Flames’ activated.]
Skin, muscles, bones—his entire body was replaced with fire, turning him into a being of flame.
At the cost of his lifespan, it granted him immense power for the moment—even flight was possible.
[Cough, kehh-hhk—]
Instead of coughing, he sputtered sparks.
Eyes blazing, Kang Chunwook glared at Eugene.
[You, you….]
“Now that looks more like you.”
Eugene retrieved Bigrid. The flames clinging to the sword’s blade extinguished.
Good. Now it’s phase 2.
Since this was still the early stage, Kang Chunwook’s attack patterns were fairly simple.
If he took a critical hit like now, regeneration was impossible.
His strength was high, but his stamina was low—so once attacked repeatedly, his health dropped quickly.
At that point, his lifespan would drain naturally.
It wasn’t much of a benefit for now, since Eugene wouldn’t be fighting him into the future.
All I need is to exhaust all his fuel. Then it’s over.
An ability with a very high upper limit, but an equally low lower limit.
Once it’s burned out, Eugene would win.
The only downside—doing it that way wasn’t very fun.
[How dare you… how dare you use up my lifespan!!]
Boom!
The enraged Kang Chunwook slammed the Imoogi (serpent).
The creature fainted, tongue lolling, though not dead.
Then—
Thrust!
Eugene flung Bigrid, piercing the Imoogi’s heart.
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
“Oh, that’s nice.”
Last hit.
He leveled up.
He immediately invested the points into mana.
Then he spread frost into the surroundings.
[Skill ‘Cold Breath’ activated.]
Crackle—!
A stronger frost than before swept out.
Kang Chunwook grimaced, drawing out more flames.
If that was how it would be, he’d burn the whole forest down as fuel.
No more hesitation.
He had already carelessly consumed his lifespan.
It was time to make a decisive move—
Then—
“Here.”
Eugene tossed a dark lump from his hand.
Kang Chunwook instinctively caught it.
Whoosh—!
[!]
The flames blazed brighter.
Proof he had just consumed [Fuel], giving him a temporary boost in firepower.
That tiny thing was fuel?
[Why would you… give me fuel…?]
“I can make as much of it as I want, as long as I have mana.”
Enhancement.
Even trash items could be useful once enhanced.
Efficiency? Sure, that mattered.
But with disposable things like fuel, the story changed.
And if there was no limit to enhancements—?
“You know what?”
Eugene locked eyes with him and smirked.
“You can’t kill me anymore.”
[…!]
Greed flickered in Kang Chunwook’s eyes.
Now that he had realized how precious fuel was, especially after losing lifespan, he could no longer think about killing Eugene.
“If you think you can subdue me, go ahead and try.”
[You insolent brat…!]
Grinding his teeth, he raised a fist.
[Then I’ll crush your limbs first!!]
“Try it, if you can.”
Eugene darted away.
Flames poured after him. They weren’t fatal, but persistently annoying.
Kang Chunwook roared—
[Uaaaaaaaghhhh!]
The battle dragged on for two hours.
No, correction.
Rather than dragging on, Eugene simply infuriated Kang Chunwook for two hours with how well he dodged.
[Huff… huff… hhh…]
Flicker, fwoosh….
His flames dwindled to weak embers.
Gone was the blazing flame-being.
Only a pitiful human, body barely dotted with embers.
Eugene looked at him.
“What would happen if you entered water in that state?”
[You… insolent… bastard…!]
Grit!
Kang Chunwook gnashed his teeth.
To be humiliated like this—
By a mere D-rank hunter.
He had lived his whole life chasing pride, his reputation as a thug.
That pride now lay in ruins. Even killing Eugene wouldn’t repair the damage.
Eugene had expected as much—but didn’t care.
After all, here he—
“Now it’s over.”
—would die.
Eugene raised Bigrid.
Kang Chunwook’s eyes flared as he lunged with all his strength.
[Got you off guard—!]
A flaming hand pierced Eugene’s chest.
[Now die!]
A hole.
No—at least it appeared so.
His hand had indeed passed through.
Yet strangely, there was no wound.
[…Huh?]
“I didn’t mention this before.”
It wasn’t penetration, but passing through.
Like striking a ghost.
His fiery hand simply phased through Eugene.
“I’m immune to fire damage.”
Eugene smirked, raising his sword.
Before Kang Chunwook could react, the blade came down.
Slash!
[Guuaaaaaaaahhh!]
His arm was severed, blood spraying as he writhed on the ground.
The pain was excruciating.
But with his mana depleted, he couldn’t even staunch the bleeding.
[Guh… you… you dare… do you know who I am…!]
“Who? A lackey of the big shots. A dog licking the Mir Guild’s boots, hoping for scraps.”
[You… bastard… do you even know who has my back? You think you’ll die peacefully after this?!]
“Then why should I die painfully?”
Eugene lazily replied, swinging his sword again.
Kang Chunwook screamed as his limbs were hacked apart.
It was his last feeble resistance.
When he could no longer fight back, Eugene’s sword finally stopped.
Clinging to life, Kang Chunwook gasped.
[That flame… resistance… immunity… could it be…?]
“Oh? You recognize my skill?”
[Baek Arin… she had something similar… damn it, such a precious skill, in the hands of trash like you…!]
So, he knows about the Heart.
The hunter era was still new, and much information remained unknown.
Especially skills like “Hearts” that parasitized a host—few knew of them.
Hosts hid their weaknesses, Hearts their identities.
But still, it was exposed.
The Flame Heart had even defected to the villain side.
Eugene thought it coincidence—apparently not.
[I know very well who covets that skill….]
Kang Chunwook sneered.
[You’ll die… a miserable death!]
“That’s for me to decide.”
Eugene twisted his blade into his wound.
“The black market.”
[…!]
“You have contacts, don’t you?”
Another reason Kang Chunwook had to be targeted.
Beyond freeing Baek Arin, there were connections to the black market—
the perfect place for acquiring rare items and identities.
Unfortunately, Kang Chunwook wasn’t directly linked.
Just “a friend of a friend.”
But that was enough.
The rest could be squeezed out later.
“You’ll be my middleman.”
The Mir Guild—one of Korea’s top five.
Large enough to secretly run an enhancement factory.
More influential than conglomerates of the pre-Hunter era.
Hunters with both wealth and power.
In a world where conquering dungeons meant survival, they were indispensable.
Irreplaceable.
Naturally, they were rare.
Vrooom—!
Several black vans bearing the Mir Guild’s dragon emblem pulled in.
One black van departed in time.
Before others could chase, Baek Arin, waiting perched on a boulder at the entrance, blinked.
“…Oh, they really came?”
“Snow Ghost.”
She frowned at hearing her old alias.
“Ugh, I hate that nickname.”
“Why are you here?”
Thud!
A van door opened, revealing a man in a suit.
Though dressed formally, his savage aura didn’t change.
Iron Ghost.
An S-rank, said to rival Snow Ghost and Sword Ghost.
His skill—hardening his whole body into steel.
The vice guild master of Mir Guild, who led raids directly.
“That’s my line. Why are you here?”
“Our foolish guest went inside. What are you here for? What, begging us to void your contract?”
“I already know you won’t.”
Baek Arin quietly closed her eyes.
At first, she thought it was just a one-sided legal scam.
But it was more.
Political pressure between S-ranks.
Lobbying funded by the massive Mir Guild.
The malice against her was what kept her trapped in that unfair contract.
“You were behind it, weren’t you? The ones backing them.”
“Oh, wow.”
Iron Ghost grinned.
“The dumb girl finally wised up?”
“I was lucky enough to meet someone good.”
“That guy, Eugene? Hah. With your face and body, reeling him in must’ve been easy. But the poor bastard… he’ll go in there and come out a corpse.”
Iron Ghost’s eyes gleamed like metal.
“Step aside, Snow Ghost. We’re going in to drag him and our guest out.”
“Sorry, but I can’t let you take my guild master.”
Shaaahhh—
A freezing chill surged, stronger than before.
The other raiders stiffened.
Only Iron Ghost kept smiling.
“What, you’ll try freezing me with that pathetic ice?”
“If I must.”
“Then try. Ice can’t beat steel. You were just lucky to reawaken, and now you’re getting cocky.”
Their fierce glares clashed.
Rustle.
“…Hmm.”
From the bushes stepped out a young man in a black tracksuit.
Shrugging amidst the tense atmosphere.
“Did I come to the wrong place?”
“…Sword Ghost?”
Sword Ghost.
In terms of sheer combat power, the highest among even S-ranks.
His sudden appearance froze Iron Ghost’s expression.
Why was he here?
Could it be…
Han Eugene. Did he come to take him away?
